Some hard evidence why Shula needs to be fired now.

[hepcat]

I saw a comment on the Panthers facebook page about Mike Shula that got me thinking.  The following are excerpts from Mike Shula's Wikipedia page.

 

 

From his time as Offensive Coordinator in Tampa Bay from 1996-1999:

 

 

As offensive coordinator under Tony Dungy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team enjoyed success and narrowly missed the Super Bowl after losing the NFC Championship Game against eventual Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams. Following that 1999 NFC Championship Game, Shula was fired as offensive coordinator after the Bucs finished no higher than 22nd in total offense during his tenure.

 

 

As head coach for Alabama from 2003-2006:

 

 

2003:  In games decided by one score or less, Alabama was 0-6 on the season.

2006:  The Tide struggled the rest of the year, as the offense could not consistently move the ball once inside the red zone, and the defense played below previous standards.  On November 26, one week after the Iron Bowl loss, Alabama athletic director Mal Moore notified Mike Shula that he would not be retained as the University of Alabama's head football coach for the 2007 season.  The University of Alabama had to pay Shula $4 million left on his contract after they fired him.

 

 

As offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, the 2013 offense ranked 26th, and the 2014 offense is currently ranked 26th.  The Panthers offense was ranked #7 in 2011 and #12 in 2012 under Rob Chudzinski comparatively.  

 

Consistent with his struggles everywhere else he's been, Shula's offense has struggled in the red zone, scoring a TD in only 46% of their attempts this season, ranked 30 out of 32 teams in the NFL.  (http://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/red-zone-scoring-pct).  This, despite Cam Newton only turning the ball over once and having a passer rating of 104.4 (http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball/teams/redzone/playerstats/CAR).  They weren't much better in 2013, scoring only a touchdown 52% of the time they reached the red zone, for a ranking of 19 out of 32.  They were ranked #7 in 2011 (58%) and #9 in 2012 (59%) in red zone scoring percentage.

 

There's no doubt about it, the offense has gotten much worse under Mike Shula.  When you break down the stats, you can see there are far deeper issues than Cam Newton overthrowing receivers or the offensive line struggling to open holes.  Cam has great stats in the red zone, but they've still struggled to score.  Everywhere Shula has been, this has been an issue. The offense wasn't good in 2013, and it's just as bad in 2014.   It's not going to change. 

 

As Albert Einstein once said, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

[PandaPancake]

So you're saying because I'm a degenerate gambler I'll always be one?

Seriously that dude needs to go and be forced to change his last name

[Jeremy Igo]

This is all news to me

[NCstoner420]

This is all news to me

 

You said it from day one and none of us listened. 

[Snake]

I think we all knew this, yet Rivera still has him as a OC. You see where he Got Dungy and will get Rivera.

[hepcat]

This is all news to me

 

You did say all these things when he was first hired.  I wanted Hue Jackson

[chknwing]

Ive read this somewhere before.

[PandaMan]

We see hard evidence every Sunday.  Who the fug targets Cotchery on a flea flicker?

[Jeremy Igo]

We see hard evidence every Sunday. Who the fuck targets Cotchery on a flea flicker?

They never saw it coming!!!!

[Gucci Mane]

I think we should get rid of shula but its not like you can just overhaul your offense mid-season. Just let the process play out and demote/fire him after we play our last game.

[Bj-Monster23]

If this team keeps playing how they have been playing for the most part of the season. I wouldn't be surprised if Rivera and Shula is showed the door.

[tiger7_88]

 

There's no doubt about it, the offense has gotten much worse under Mike Shula.  When you break down the stats, you can see there are far deeper issues than Cam Newton overthrowing receivers or the offensive line struggling to open holes.  Cam has great stats in the red zone, but they've still struggled to score.  Everywhere Shula has been, this has been an issue. The offense wasn't good in 2013, and it's just as bad in 2014.   It's not going to change. 

 

 

I hate to break this to you but...

 

THIS IS BY DESIGN.

 

THIS IS *EXACTLY* THE KIND OF OFFENSE THAT RON RIVERA WANTS.

 

Ron Rivera thinks that scoring 14-17 points per game on offense in today's NFL is just fine.

 

I hope that the tragic truth hasn't spoiled your day, brah.

[tiger7_88]

You said it from day one and none of us listened. 

 

I did.

 

As an Auburn fan, I saw every year Shula was head coach at Bama and knew what kind of an offensive play caller he was.

 

A spectacularly UNIMAGINATIVE one.

[hepcat]

I hate to break this to you but...

 

THIS IS BY DESIGN.

 

THIS IS *EXACTLY* THE KIND OF OFFENSE THAT RON RIVERA WANTS.

 

Ron Rivera thinks that scoring 14-17 points per game on offense in today's NFL is just fine.

 

I hope that the tragic truth hasn't spoiled your day, brah.

 

What the hell are you talking about?  He signed off on Rob Chudzinski for his first offensive coordinator.  Rivera does not want his offense to struggle in the red zone and only score 14-17 points.  Sure, he might want them to play ball-control offense to keep the defense on the sideline but...that only works if you can finish the drive with a touchdown.